


What Morning Brings

by lilhawkeye3



Series: In Another Life [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Early Mornings, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Sorry, Panic Attacks, Post-Order 66, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25701109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilhawkeye3/pseuds/lilhawkeye3
Summary: It's a dream come true every time Riyo wakes up by Fox's side.
Relationships: Riyo Chuchi/CC-1010 | Fox
Series: In Another Life [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897291
Comments: 17
Kudos: 98





	What Morning Brings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GraceEliz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GraceEliz/gifts).



Riyo’s eyes flicker open to see sunlight streaming in through her apartment window, bathing the room in a soft light. The bed dips down behind her, and as she shifts slightly backwards, a strong arm tightens around her waist and tugs her until her back presses against a warm chest.

“Good morning,” Fox’s voice rumbles as his thumb rubs gentle circles into the dip of her waist. Riyo can’t help but shiver as the simple movement spreads tingles throughout her body.

“You stayed,” she murmurs softly, her words turning into a breathy gasp as he presses a kiss against her neck.

Fox hums in agreement. “Wouldn’t miss this for the stars, _cyar’ika_.” His hand moves to splay against her stomach as she turns her head towards his voice and his lips meet hers. Even a chaste kiss like this leaves her breathless. “Besides,” he adds as he re-finds the tender spot on her collarbone from last night and nips at it, “Thorn can handle things ‘till I show up.”

“You spoil me,” she says, her mouth curving into a soft smile.

“It’s my pleasure,” he smirks, and Riyo rolls over onto her other side so she can properly kiss him. Her fingers thread through his hair as one of his hands cups her cheek and the other grips her thigh to pull her flush against him.

She’s so lost in his touch that it takes her several minutes for his earlier words to fully sink in, but when they do, she pulls back from him. They’re both panting, but Riyo forces herself to recover enough to voice her confusion. “Fox– you said _Thorn_ could handle things.”

“Yes?”

“Fox…” Her hands trail down to caress his cheeks in worry. “Thorn died two years ago, on a mission off-world.”

His head tips slightly to the side as he observes her with his steady umber eyes. “I know. You were there to comfort me when I found out.”

Riyo’s brow crinkles in confusion. “But– then, I don’t understand…”

Fox’s smile is tinged with sadness as he leans forward and presses a lingering kiss against her lips. “You will, Riyo. You just have to wake up.”

“Wha–”

* * *

Riyo sits up in her bed with a strangled gasp as her alarm goes off. There is no sunlight entering her room; the window shows a snowy scene awaiting this morning on Pantora. Her legs are tangled in her sheets, but she ignores it in favor of the crushing feeling in her chest. She pulls at her hair as her breath begins to quicken and grow shallower as the reality of her world threatens to drown her. 

Fox has been lost to her for months now, since the Republic she’d given so much to crumbled under the weight of the now-Emperor’s fist.

Riyo stumbles out of bed, tripping over her feet as she kicks free of her bedding and rushes for the fresher. She bends over the sink, dry heaving for several moments until the worst of the nausea passes and leaves her feeling cold and empty.

She lets out a high keen as she curls in on herself, tears flowing freely down her face. What she wouldn’t give to feel her _cyare_ ’s arms around her, his warmth, even hear his voice just one last time.

But he was now forever beyond her reach.

Riyo wishes she could find solace in the words her friend Ahsoka had once told her. _“There is no death, there is only the Force.”_ She’d explained how all living things joined the Force once they died, how the Jedi believed they were never truly gone.

But now Ahsoka was dead and the Jedi were extinct, killed in a heartless genocide by clones– men, her _friends–_ who no longer had free will, who were as controllable as the droids they had fought against for years.

And Fox was dead, lost in defense of his brothers as they stormed the Temple and slaughtered scores of innocents.

And Riyo is alone, with nothing but the echo of his voice and ghost of his touch to haunt her.

(It’s her, who has been left behind, who will suffer the most.)

**Author's Note:**

> Well  
> That Shit Hurted  
> (Also Kaminobiwan look I wrote it all in present tense, I hope you're proud haha)


End file.
